Homeless check in to Neville’s hotel site

FOOTBALL pundit turned property developer Gary Neville has agreed to let a group of homeless people stay in the empty former Stock Exchange building in Manchester.

The group entered the listed property on Norfolk Street, which is set to become a boutique hotel, last week.

Rather than evict them now, the former Manchester United and England defender has given the group permission to stay until building work begins in February.

Around 50 people are now believed to be in the building after more homeless people arrived on Monday as word spread.

One of the occupiers, Wesley Hall said told the BBC he had spoken to Neville directly: “He spoke to me he said, ‘Look, I’ve not got a problem with you staying here, look after the building and respect the actual building,” he said.

Planning permission to turn the Stock Exchange on Norfolk Street into a 35-bedroom luxury hotel was granted earlier this year, with Neville and former team-mate and United coach Ryan Giggs funding the project.

The Grade II-listed building, which they bought for £1.5m, will house a gym, spa, an exclusive roof terrace for members and a ground-floor restaurant.